“This committee will bring greater transparency and confidence to our program, and will benefit pork producers, packers, processors, retailers, and consumers,” said Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Rayne Pegg.
The meeting will be held March 15, 2011, through March 17, 2011. On all three days, the meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and is scheduled to end at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Radisson Hotel Reagan National Airport, 2020 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington VA 22202; Phone (703) 920–8600.
The primary purpose of the Committee is to develop proposed language to amend the Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) regulations to implement mandatory pork price reporting. On Sept. 28, 2010, the Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2010 reauthorizing LMR for five years and adding a provision for mandatory reporting of wholesale pork cuts was enacted.
The 2010 Reauthorization Act directed the Secretary to engage in negotiated rulemaking to make required regulatory changes for mandatory wholesale pork reporting. On Jan. 26, 2011, USDA published a notice announcing the final list of members on the Wholesale Pork Reporting Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, responding to comments from the Nov. 24, 2010, Federal Register notice, and announcing the first meeting.
The agenda for the meeting will be posted in advance at http://www.ams.usda.gov/NegotiatedRulemaking. The meeting will be open to the public without advance registration. Public attendance may be limited to the space available. Members of the public will be given opportunities to make statements during the meeting at the discretion of the Committee, and will be able to file written statements with the Committee for its consideration. Written statements may be submitted in advance to the address listed below. Notice of future meetings will be announced in the Federal Register.
For further information contact, Michael Lynch, Chief; USDA, AMS, LS, LGMN Branch; 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Room 2619-S; Washington, D.C. 20250; Phone (202) 720-6231; Fax (202) 690-3732; or email at Michael.Lynch@ams.usda.gov.
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